What's Cooking (Take Three!)

I'll also add that something I always love about a perfect med-rare conventional cook on PR is the way the outer ring is well done when the interior is gloriously pinkish-red. With sous vide, you lose that. You get perfect color edge to edge, and I have to admit now that I don't think that's actually so perfect.

I agree with you. It is weird to see rare/medium-rare all the way to the edge. And, anyway, a little bit of char and chew is good (...confined to the outermost 1/4").

So, the day after the Smoky Roast Goose, I was off with the D&D crowd. Pumpkin ate goose while I was away, made soup with a couple pieces of roast chicken, and spooned quite a quantity of clam chowder that I left for him.

Cooking tonight was crab cakes. I really should make these more often.

[Jenise]

Last night we had a stew made from pressure cooking the rest of the super rare prime rib in broth and wine, along with a pinot fest for two.

I visited my 90+ year old mom last Friday for a combined Christmas/New Year celebration. I cooked Chinese lemon chicken (ning mon gai) for the occasion.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Made a southern style dinner last night for six in which the protein was sous vide pork loin roast in a gingersnap gravy. For sides I made an almost-dirty rice (all the herbs and spices, but no organ meats) and collard greens. Two big hits in the meal worth talking about, the collard greens and the peach sorbet I served for dessert.

The collard greens: turns out both guest couples had a southern connection. The husband in one case grew up in Louisville Kentucky, and the other couple, though Canadian, spent 20 years in Tennessee when Chuck taught at Vanderbilt. None had ever had collard greens anyway except cooked for hours with bacon and onions, which they all hated and so have avoided collard greens ever since. I wilt collard greens often and just serve with vinegar and salt, a bastardization of the way I ate spinach as a child. But that was too simple for dinner party food, and a quick scrounge for an alternative turned up a recipe on Epicurious, I think it was, for collards drizzled with an emulsified miso-based butter. I didn't want a drizzle nor did I want the sweet elements in their recipe so I skipped the recipe but borrowed the idea: I put about two heaping teaspoons of miso in a high-sided skillet, and whisked in enough white wine vinegar to create a loose paste, then flipped in two pats of butter. Whisked to emulsify, added the already wilted greens, stirred to coat. My god were those good! The miso didn't come across as Japanese, more like a very complex salt. They ate them all.

The sorbet: I'm not a dessert eater and don't enjoy making them. But this was awesome: since peaches be a Southern Thang, I bought two containers of Haggen Daz peach sorbet and let them soften enough to stir in chopped fresh tarragon and whole fresh blueberries. Took about two minutes to convert something store-bought into something unusual, pretty and refreshing. The blueberries were a particular attractive touch and burst of flavor. I am SO going to do that again.

Jenise, you just go girl! You a baddass in the kitchen. I've served up collards standing on a slice of roasted acorn squash then drizzled with a reduction of balsamic vinegar. It's both beautiful and tasty. This year I did a simple splash of maple balsamic (from TJ Max) over the greens which added just enough flavor enhancement to make them interesting.

[Jenise]

Oooh--maple balsamic? Interesting: would that be duplicatable by simply combining the two elements? I love the thought of that on squash! Or drizzled on a pork chop.

[Jenise]

Last night I made bow-tie pasta tossed with crabmeat and a delicious 'Artichoke antipasto' purchased in a jar at Trader Joe's. Which is what I really want to talk about--this is GOOD stuff! Last week I was having guests to dinner and realized about two minutes before the doorbell rang that I didn't plan any pre-dinner appies. So I checked the fridge and realized I still had some puffed pastry discs made about three weeks ago that are lasting longer than I ever expected, some ricotta cheese, and in the pantry this jar of chopped artichoke pieces. They're preserved in oil with very light acidity and have a delectable charred flavor. So there were the layers: pastry/ricotta/artichoke. Wonderful--would go with any dry white or sparkling wine. I hardly buy anything premade, but I'll want this in the pantry on standby.

It was wonderful blended with crabmeat, lemon juice, thyme and a dollop of sour cream for tossing with pasta, too.

Tonight for dinner I'm marinating chicken thighs in tons of lime juice with garlic, slivered onion and red chiles. A North African recipe that should be terrific pan browned (or broiled) and served on breaded and baked discs of eggplant seasoned with berbere. We'll open riesling with that.

...realized about two minutes before the doorbell rang that I didn't plan any pre-dinner appies. So I checked the fridge...

Gotta' love that last minute adrenaline! Sounds like you are a quick thinker (with a stocked kitchen) and solved the problem nicely, and quickly!

Made caldo verde last night. Good stuff for those submerged n an atmospheric river.

Probably making some sort of chili tonight to go with the football game.

Editing to correct. Didn't make chili. Made Picodillo. Also made the cinnamon ice cream to go with a dessert my wife made which consisted of apple pie type filling with "ANZAC biscuit" topping. It was pretty much like an apple crisp, and very good.

[Jenise]

...realized about two minutes before the doorbell rang that I didn't plan any pre-dinner appies. So I checked the fridge...

Gotta' love that last minute adrenaline! Sounds like you are a quick thinker (with a stocked kitchen) and solved the problem nicely, and quickly!

Quick thinker yes, but not well-stocked with ready-made components! I was just real lucky this time.

...not well-stocked with ready-made components! I was just real lucky this time.

Well, good luck is better than bad luck.

I mentioned it because I have witnessed a few great entertainers over the years who always have bulging pantries, refrigerators and freezers. They are always ready to feed an army and they think nothing of extending spontaneous invitations to crowds.

I on the other hand tend towards the minimalist side of things. I like things fresh so we shop for fruits and vegetables multiple times per week. I also don't like clutter or waste so I prefer to have a handful of options for spices/condiments/vinegars whatever and then use that up before buying more. And I have nothing in the freezer except ice (and chicken and fish sticks for my son).

When I invite people over it is more of a carefully-calculated plan, built around timing of access to certain ingredients, etc. So more on the anal quality-focused side, which suits me. And I didn't necessarily always like the taste of the foods from those great entertainers who combined all sorts of pantry/frozen items. But, there is no denying their generosity of spirit, and that is something we should all aspire to. So I try to learn from different styles of entertaining.

[Jenise]

I know the type, Rahsaan. At the very least they can always pull out some salami, cheese and crackers. It's an art.

Unfortunately even that's not me--we're not snackers ourselves so I don't prepare for that kind of event. I don't buy prepared foods and we don't get a lot of drop-ins. I'd actually like to be more like you. I waste a lot of fresh produce because I don't have stores close by, and I waste a lot because 1) I want options and 2) I don't plan carefully. An upside to all that is that some of the best fun I have in the kitchen is cooking my way out of the corners I paint myself into by overbuying.

[Jenise]

Haven't cooked at home for several days. Today just having friends over mid-day for the Seahawks game: a giant sub sandwich with really good Italian deli meats from Bosa in Vancouver, lots of romaine chiffonade and a red wine vinegar dressing, a bowl of marinated vegetables, and a bowl of snacks like peanuts, rice crackers and cheddar fish. Super easy, no last minute attentiveness required.

It's been leftovers and "the usual" here, too. I made a feast for a jeebus a week ago (leftovers) and then a couple pots of pot roast ("the usual") so we're still set. Coming up soon: Santa brought me a coupon for Eataly so a white truffle is in the near future, I still have a cup or two of goose fat so potatoes are in the near future, there's two Christmas puddings so sugar and booze are in the near future (gotta love that combination).

Nice game day spread, Jenise!

I did a roasted supper last night: chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower.

[Jenise]

Nice game day spread, Jenise!

I did a roasted supper last night: chicken, potatoes, and cauliflower.

Not intended to be impressive, just easy in self-defense. This is the couple that can't be fed onions or tomatoes, and he only likes vegetables that you can spell in four letters. A self-deprecating joke he tells, but grounded in truth. Not adventurous eaters!

Haven't cooked at home for several days. Today just having friends over mid-day for the Seahawks game: a giant sub sandwich with really good Italian deli meats from Bosa in Vancouver, lots of romaine chiffonade and a red wine vinegar dressing, a bowl of marinated vegetables, and a bowl of snacks like peanuts, rice crackers and cheddar fish. Super easy, no last minute attentiveness required.

What will you drink?

Pizza tonight. One topped with sliced potatoes, bacon, smoked mozzarella, spinach, and arugula. The other had tomato sauce. prosciutto, and regular mozzarella.

[Jenise]

Haven't cooked at home for several days. Today just having friends over mid-day for the Seahawks game: a giant sub sandwich with really good Italian deli meats from Bosa in Vancouver, lots of romaine chiffonade and a red wine vinegar dressing, a bowl of marinated vegetables, and a bowl of snacks like peanuts, rice crackers and cheddar fish. Super easy, no last minute attentiveness required.

What will you drink?

I'd have preferred to drink a lighter red like chianti or CdR with that sandwich, but my guests were Northwest Cab people more picqued by weight than subtlety and I played to that, setting out several cab francs, a grape they love but from wineries they wouldn't have tried. And they actually brought another cab franc along with, surprisingly, a Margaux. That all kept us entertained for about 7 hours.

Haven't cooked at home for several days. Today just having friends over mid-day for the Seahawks game: a giant sub sandwich with really good Italian deli meats from Bosa in Vancouver, lots of romaine chiffonade and a red wine vinegar dressing, a bowl of marinated vegetables, and a bowl of snacks like peanuts, rice crackers and cheddar fish. Super easy, no last minute attentiveness required.

What will you drink?

I'd have preferred to drink a lighter red like chianti or CdR with that sandwich, but my guests were Northwest Cab people more picqued by weight than subtlety and I played to that, setting out several cab francs, a grape they love but from wineries they wouldn't have tried. And they actually brought another cab franc along with, surprisingly, a Margaux. That all kept us entertained for about 7 hours.

Interesting. With all those different foods and the snacks in particular, I was wondering if you might go in a spirits or beer direction. But, at the end of the day, somehow we do seem to survive all kinds of pairings. It doesn't have to be 'perfect'.

[Jenise]

That's right--this was one of those time. My guests were going to bring wine, and they pretty exclusively drink big reds. My job was to merely to provide ballast so that nobody was drinking on an empty stomach.

Hm... "Jenise", terrine, and the extreme NW... j'accuse!
https://foodonthebrain.net/2012/01/30/a-very-french-dinner/

[Jenise]

Hm... "Jenise", terrine, and the extreme NW... j'accuse!
https://foodonthebrain.net/2012/01/30/a-very-french-dinner/

My god!

Yes that was me, written up by my friend Jessamyn. A good group stilted only by our inability to find dates on which we can all be present.